Members of the Karnataka Anganwadi Workers Union took out a protest rally in Belagavi on Monday, opposing the State government plans to link anganwadis with public schools and start pre-schools in government schools.
They also demanded regularisation of services, wage hike and time-bound promotions.
They walked to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in large numbers and sat there for hours. They listened to speeches by their leaders, submitted a memorandum to the government and dispersed.
Union leader Sarsawati Bai Kanakekar said that the State government was planning to link anganwadis with public schools and allow government schools to open kindergarten classes. This would destroy the anganwadi system.
She said that successive governments in the State had betrayed them with false promises of regularising their services. “We have been working for over 25 years with minimum wages and limited facilities. Several anganwadi workers have retired without any benefits,” she said.
Union leader Sandhya Kulkarni complained that the Union and State governments were following anti-labour, anti-farmer policies. She urged the governments to drop such policies and enact policies and introduce schemes that were farmer-friendly and labour-friendly. This, she said, would lead to a direct positive impact on the economy of the country.